Bloodstained Rose
by Garfield413
Summary: AU. Amelia is a child thrown into a battle bigger than herself when her parents are murdered. Her foster family, Achilles and Connor, introduce her to the war between the Assassins and Templars. As the years go by, she will find out how her parents and the war are connected. However, her destiny a little larger than she expected. CONNOR/OC pairing. Has part romance-ish later on.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1: _**Bloody Beginnings**_

"Mommy, help me! I'm so scared…" whimpered a small child, at the age of 7.

"Hush, dear. Everything will be alright. You just settle down in that nice old crate, ya hear? Don't make a sound, and the mean men won't find you. Always remember that your mother loves you, and that your father did before the horrid 'holy' men made him sick."

Screams of terror echoed against the cold unforgiving stone walls. They used to hold a sense of comfort, warmth, and security, once upon a time. The heavy footsteps of heavily armed men grew louder as they drew closer, at an alarmingly rapid rate. "Warlock's she-devil, we know you are there! Your sorry excuse for a _husband_ has failed to protect you. I think you'll be satisfied to know that we have his _disgusting, thick skull_ mounted on a spike right on your doorstep. They all said that this "fortress" was impenetrable! _Ha!_ We showed them, didn't we, boys?" Harsh, arrogant laughter agreed with the man's words. "Yes, no one, not even the lowly assassins or their families shall stand before the might of the Templars!"

The terrified girl's mother drew her dagger, enraged by his words. She was seething with rage, creeping out from behind the stone pillar she was hiding behind. Steely blue eyes flashed with anger and hate from behind a veil of hazel hair, gleaming with a hint of red. It was a bloodmoon, a... _tender_ time for an entity such as herself. A searing pain flooded through her, as her very being began to morph into... something not of this world. She was bathed in a dark fire. Her face elongated, as her teeth grew into long, deadly fangs. Her ears transformed into those of a wolf, and a tail began to rip through her skirt, which was already being burned away. She was the embodiment of darkness. She was the beast that made children fear going out to play in the woods at night. She was so fearsome that no one dared to name her.

She was death incarnate. _No, wait... no... that wasn't right_, she thought. _I am not that thing anymore. I have changed! I changed for my husband. I changed for my daughter, my lovely daughter, Amelia! No... No... No! _

A voice inside of her mockingly told her, '_The one you love is dead by the hands of these men. The law of the Pack dictates that they must pay the blood price, even if a child must bear witness.'_

As her last threads of humanity slipped away, she looked to the frail figure in the crate and ground out through gritted teeth, "Amelia, look away. Hide. When this is over, I want you to run and never look back."

And with that, the transformation was complete.

"...Mommy?" a soft, shaking voice quietly called out.

The ghastly creature that looked back at her with eyes gleaming red with fire and hatred flashed blue, just for a moment, then returned to the burning magma glare filled with bloodlust. Amelia screamed, for this was not the warm, caring mother she grew to love. This was a walking nightmare, who only knew how to take lives, not nurture them. A wolfish grin was inches from her face, snarling, with saliva dripping down onto her delicate silk dress.

"There they are! I heard the demon-spawn, that demoness must not be too far away from her unholy offspring!" A harsh, commanding voice called out, commanding a small legion of men, numbering about 50 in ranks, to lay siege on the basement of the small castle.

The she-wolf spun around, just in time to see tons of men in iron and steel armor, with plates thicker than Amelia's arm. She could not help but gasp in awe, even as they charged at what used to be her mother. Amelia crouched in the little crate, peeking through a crack big enough to fit a penny through as the battle unfolded. The place began to reek of sweat, blood, and ale. Hordes of Templars rushed at her mother, slashing at her with broadswords, daggers, and battleaxes. Gunshots rang through the air. Despite all of this, the wolf kept fighting. In the heat of battle, it howled, "_Death to those who dare threaten my family! You will pay for murdering my Nicholas!_"

Bodies began to pile up, until the skirmish was taking place on a small hill of broken bones and bleeding corpses. The forlorn beast flung soldier after soldier away like ragdolls, and sickening crunches of shattering bones soon followed as they hit the stone walls.

In the end, the Templars were just too much for her. She was slowly growing weaker and weaker. With every ten men she killed, fifteen took their place.

After about 378 men had fallen to her deadly claws and bloody maw, she began to feel faint. Amelia looked on in horror, as she saw remnants of her sweet, gentle mother begin to falter. Twenty-two men were left in the room, and more and more hits began to land on their targets. Seventeen men, and her mother had some minor cuts. Nine men, and she had many major wounds. Three men, and she was bleeding out. As she slashed the throat of the last attacker, she slowly turned towards the last person in the room- her daughter. Evil blood-red eyes burned through the flimsy wood of the crate.

"Momma, please... please no, momma!" Amelia whispered, already backing away from the side of the wooden box closest to the ghastly apparition. She felt so terrified and confused.

Just before her former mother could tear at her, a single dagger found its way into her skull, killing her instantly. Standing behind it was a man. The same man who had taunted them earlier. He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, as he gazed down at the body, which was slowly transforming back into a woman. He turned away, and headed out the way he came. Before he left the bloodstained room, though, he kicked the head of a man that was in his path.

"He was a useless sod of a man, anyway. They all were, for not being able to cull a small puppy. That is precisely why I waited until they all died to do the job. If you want it done right, you've gotta do it yourself," he chuckled, as he casually walked out the door.

As soon as he left the property, and Amelia thought it was safe, she ran to her mother, sobbing. She nearly choked on air, as a ghostly apparition of her mother flowed from the body. Before the white wisps of her soul faded into the air, she said to Amelia, "_Goodbye, my rosebud. I know that one day you will blossom into a beautiful rose, thorns and all."_

As her spirit left the room and this world, faint traces of a wolf's spirit, red as fire, rushed out of the door, wild, uncontrollable, and free at last.

Author's note: Hey guys! First ever story here, hope you like it! This comes straight from the heart. I don't like putting my characters through this kind of pain, but I like to think of this as the foundation of a strong character. After all, a weapon must be hardened through the heat of the fire so that it shall not shatter upon impact with the enemy's blade.

This is a story taking place in a different world, mashed together with the Assassin's Creed universe. I might include actual events from the game, though. There will be characters and the Homestead. This story is the product of a sudden flash of inspiration, and Connor Kenway was caught in the blast :D

Don't worry, not all of the story is this dark, morbid, and violent. I needed Amelia to have a dark past, to set her up to be stronger later. It's a key component to the rest of the story, you'll see :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I do not own Assassin's Creed, or any locations or characters from it. Although I REALLY wish that I owned Connor...**

Amelia stumbled out into the cold, dark night. She stopped at a small cliff, overlooking a vast forest filled with life and danger. The stars, normally so beautiful and filled with hope, seemed to taunt her through the storm clouds. The rain seemed to roar as it assaulted the earth and all who were on it from the heavens.

Normally, the little girl would've sat there and wailed in despair, wondering why this all happened to her. Instead, something deep inside of her soul caused her to do something else. It was a tug at her subconscious; it tore at the very fiber of her soul. Every instinct in her body wanted her to follow a tradition as old as time itself.

Amelia promptly set herself down, much like a wolf sitting on its haunches. Her face began to elongate, ever so slightly. Her delicate teeth began to poke gently at her tongue. She took a deep breath, inhaling as much as she possibly could, and began to howl at the moon.

And that was when the memories began to flood back to her.

_""""""""""""""""""""""""""""_

_A small girl, with hair as dark as a raven's wing, sat cross-legged on the ground in an open field with her mother. Shrill, gleeful laughter filled the air as she patted a large, silvery wolf on the nose. The wolf was the size of a small bear, and was panting happily. Her mother was teaching her how to communicate with the animals of the wild._

"_Mother, why are you teaching me these things?" Amelia asked._

"_Rosebud, I am just preparing you for adventures to come. One day, you will be a protector and guardian of nature like me. Humans these days slaughter animals and each other, with no regard to the lives they are impacting."_

"_But mother, if you are only doing good, then why do we have to hide from the holy men?"_

"_Because, dear, they do not understand. They think that anyone who is not like them are unholy, that they must be removed from this earth."_

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Amelia's reminiscing was interrupted by a large, silver canine gently nudging her shoulder.

"Oh, Kora, this is terrible!" Amelia wailed to her best and only friend, a silver, female wolf with striking green eyes. She had a lonely childhood, for her parents did not think it to be wise to live too close to civilization. Gossip flowed from the townsfolk about a few acres away about the warlock living in the castle on the hill, who abided with a beast so sinister and terrible that none should dare approach them.

They were right about her father being magical, of course. However, he was a kind and considerate man who only used his talents for good. Her mother, on the other hand, was a more complicated story.

Author's Note: Ohhhh, mysterious past TO a mysterious past! :D Details of Amelia's life will gradually appear through flashbacks. Don't worry, no stone will be left unturned. Now, I would like to fill you in on when Connor arrives and how, but that would take away the suspense! I promise you, it will be great.


	3. Chapter 3

A Tamed Wolf; A Mother's Backstory

At the dawn of time, the Creator of the World sat at his forge. In this forge, he skillfully crafted the land and sea. He created the stone deep in the ground, and the heavens up above. He painstakingly created millions of stars from small pieces of metal so eternally hot that they burned a searing light all the way back down to earth, and scattered them all across the cosmos. His hammer dented the earth, creating mountains and valleys. Craters filled with water to form lakes, rivers, and seas. Dirt flew into the air, and landed back down to the earth as islands. A huge chunk of rock flew into the air, becoming the moon. The heat of the forge dried land into deserts, other pieces of land became cold, and the air frigid, where the heat had died down. It truly was a sight to behold.

However, no matter how beautiful the world was, it was empty and barren, devoid of life. No one else was there to enjoy it, or appreciate it. It was indeed a lonesome place to be.

Then, one day, a slender, lupine figure stepped down onto the dry land. She was pretty, yet deadly. Mother Wolf was the mother of all life on land and at sea. Lush vegetation sprouted wherever she stepped. She was caring and loving to her children, yet had a cunning and devious side as well. Legend says that she was the most divine being to have ever walked the earth. The Creator was quite taken by her exquisite beauty and grace, and she adored his craftsmanship. They spent many happy years together. Their children became all of the creatures we know today.

Together, the Creator and Mother Wolf took part in their biggest project yet. Creating the Privileged Ones, the humans.

The humans were gifted with knowledge, evolutionary advancements, and individual freedom to be themselves. The only rule was to respect their home on earth and treat the other creatures with respect; to take only what they needed.

The humans created tools, clothes, buildings, and more. The villages turned into settlements, settlements turned into cities.

For a while, all lived in harmony. But, the harmony did not last forever.

In the hearts of some men, grew an evil. This apparition fed on their greed, gluttony, and fears. It exploited man's greatest fears, creating nightmares for children and failed lives for adults.

Eventually, it grew so strong that it manifested itself in the physical world. It controlled the souls of those it had corrupted.

Soon, the chaos reached the attention of the Creator and his wife.

This situation deeply worried both of them. However, they could not actually take a physical form and be seen by their creations, nor defend them from the evil that attacked their hearts and minds. Their only hope of communication was pure faith, and even that was fading away.

So, to protect what they held dear to them, they chose a champion. It had to be someone pure of heart, and free of evil intentions.

After many decades of searching, and nearly giving up hope, they found her. Her name was Alyss, at least, it was, when she was still mortal. She was young, intelligent, and headstrong. Her eyes were bluer than the sky, and her hair as brown and as full of life as the earth.

When she was presented with the task of protecting all life she held so dear, she could not possibly do anything but accept. Before she made the decision, the Creator warned her.

"_This is a duty that lasts your whole life, perhaps even for all eternity. For what we will have to do will forever prevent you from aging. You will have the strength of a hundred oxen, and senses that rival Mother Wolf herself. You will be able to tap into a form that contains an inhuman amount of strength. However, you will not age as your friends and family do. You will see all of the people you care about grow old and die, and eventually the years will rush past and lose all meaning. While in your powerful form, you will gain power, yet lose judgement and control. Those you once called friends will shun you, for they will not understand what you truly are, nor what your purpose in this world is. It is a great sacrifice to make, to ensure the safety of the world. We have been searching for a hundred years for you, watching the world we made slowly die and crumble away. We fear that you are our last hope."_

And so, Alyss was forced to accept. Mother Wolf slowly and gracefully approached her, and spoke in a melodious voice.

"_You have accepted the gifts of the earth, and the duties that come with them. To fully protect the earth, you must become one with it."_

A silver wolf padded to her side.

"_This is Kora. She will stand ever vigilant by your side, as your companion in duty. Her soul of the wolf, nature's most magnificent guardian, shall become one with yours. She is the queen of all animals, and all animals that stay true to the Pack Law shall bow down before both of you. These are the words of the Earth Mother."_

And with that, two souls became one, the gap between man and beast bridged by the common need to fend off the tyranny of evil.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Soulmates**

""""""""""""""""""""""Approx 1387 years later""""""""""""""""'""

Time was not kind to Alyss. She lived in the darkest woods, fighting off evil and protecting nearby towns. For years, villagers mistook her as part of the darkness, and shunned their savior away. At first, people spoke of a beautiful enchantress that lived in the forest, casting spells on unfortunate men who wandered too far into the trees. Then, they said, she transformed into a hideous fiend and killed them in their stupor. As the years went by, everyone forgot her human side and only saw her as a beast, a monstrosity. She stayed deep in the forests in shame, staying in her wolf form. She only killed those who were too far gone into the darkness, but that did not matter to the townsfolk.

After years of being shunned and hated, and hiding in the form of a wolf with only Kora as a companion, a young wizard in his mid-twenties entered her part of the forest.

"Foul beast, I have come to slay you and end your reign of terror on this land!"

Alyss, staying cautious, observed the man from afar. Her memories of being a human were long gone, all that was left was the duty, the pack, and the law. She did not know what to do, for she sensed no significant amount of darkness in the man. In fact, she did not sense any darkness at all. Something deep within her bones caused her to pad forward towards the man, for there was an eerie sense of familiarity about him. He was carrying a staff, a wizard's staff, and holding it out firmly out in front of him. She noticed, on the staff, there was an engraving that read, "_For Nicholas, from your mother, Cassandra." _

"Who goes there? Show yourself, foul beast!" Nicholas exclaimed.

Alyss stepped directly in front of him, causing him to slightly flinch.

_'What brings you this deep into the forest?'_

Nicholas jumped, unable to quite locate where the voice was coming from.

_'Relax. I am right in front of you, Nicholas.'_

Alarmed, Nicholas asked, "What are you? How are you speaking to me? How do you know my name?!"

Without warning, Alyss, on instinct, shifted into human form.

Nicholas gasped, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"So... so... the legends are true, aren't they? There IS an enchantress in the woods, turning into a wolf and devouring whoever draws near," Nicholas stuttered. "Please... just make my death quick. I have no one to live for anyway, with my sister murdered and my mother dead from a mysterious disease... My father left for another woman long ago."

Alyss placed a surprisingly gentle hand on his chin, and crooned, "I will not hurt you, for you have done nothing wrong."

As their skin made contact, memories flashed before her eyes in the blink of an eye. They were memories of times gone by, before she was hated.

_She was with a man, named James. They were laughing in the moonlight, nestled together in the grass under an ancient oak tree on the top of a hill. He sang to her, and showed her fantastic tricks with fire and wind and water and nature, that were so breathtakingly wonderful it could have been magic. At the height of all the joy and laughter, James suddenly stole a kiss from her, and her heart threatened to burst with joy when-_

Alyss was jolted out of her reminiscing, realizing one thing. She HAS met this man before, albeit in a different lifetime, in a different form.

The magic from Nicholas and Alyss's gift from the earth mixed upon contact, causing memories to flood back to both of them.

And with that, their life together began. A chance encounter after hundreds of years, a love story kindled by a death threat.

-oOoOoOoOoOoOo-

Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter isn't up to my normal quality. I'm not big on fluff, since I prefer more realistic relationships, and take more time to develop. That's all I've ever known, not love at first sight. I've never fawned over a guy to the point of fantasizing a whole life together with rainbows and unicorns, so fluff doesn't necessarily come to me naturally.


	5. Chapter 5

**Escape from Home**

Amelia sat there for several hours in the cold, unforgiving rain, huddled against Kora's warm, comforting fur. Together they silently mourned, shivering. After a while, Kora nudged Amelia gently, motioning for her to climb onto her back. They both sensed that it was time to leave this place of death, horror, and broken lives.

Amelia forced herself to calm down, and clambered onto Kora's back. It was a strange sight, seeing a little girl, in a soiled, muddy and bloody silk dress, riding a wolf like a riding pony in the rain. Amelia struggled to stay atop of Kora, gripping her glistening mane of fur as she galloped across the landscape. They flew past wide prairies in the blink of an eye, leaping over boulders and logs and mildly surprised wildlife. It was like they were flying, touching down onto the ground only for a brief moment, then leaping and gliding into the air again. Fields turned into forests, and soon they were running along the shores of a sparkling lake.

After what seemed like an eternity, Amelia was too tired to go on. She practically fell off of Kora's back, and into the mud on the edge of the lake. She curled into Kora's warm fur, shivering. As she fought to keep her eyes open, she saw the dim outline of an elderly man in the distance. The last thing she saw before passing out was a dark-skinned man rushing towards her, with a worried look on his face.

""""""""""""""""""""Several Hours Later""""""""""""""""""""

_She was with her father again, learning all of his magic tricks and watching his grand illusions. It was strange, she noticed, that he never did seem to age a day past 27. She did not care, though. He was her papa and he was the best papa in the whole entire world. Of course, he was the only person she'd ever met besides her mother, but she knew she was right. Papa said that she was a special child, not in the psychological sense, but in the sense of her being able to do what no other child could. Papa promised that one day, she would be able to uncover all of her special talents, and that she would be able to use them for good. He said that no matter what the others said or thought, only you know who you are. Only you know what you are, why, and what you are going to do about it. _

_Papa promised her, time and time again, that their family would be together for all of time. They would never, ever be apart. _

_Amelia reached up to hug her beloved papa, only to see his head fall off of his neck. She blinked, and before her stood the arrogant man. The man that took her parents away from her. The man that somehow did not care about anyone else. A large shadow surrounded his figure, looming over him. Amelia ran for her life, as fast as her feet would carry her. She screamed out for Momma, Papa, Kora, for anyone who could save her. _

_But no one came. She stumbled over the dead bodies of all her loved ones. She had to climb the mountains of the dead bodies of soldiers. She skidded to a halt at a cliff, trapped. She spun around, and there he was. The man grinned evilly, and said in an ominous voice, _

_"Your momma was always such a bother. With her out of the way, my plans for world domination will finally be fulfilled. I grow stronger by the hour, and none shall stop me." The forest around them began to wither away, dying out._

_"Since your precious mother is dead, I shall leave YOU to stay behind and watch as your whole world crumbles around you."_

_The man's skin began to melt away, leaving only an unspeakable terror behind._

_What was left was terror itself on two clawed, reptilian feet. Scales black as charcoal covered its body. Its arms stuck out from under a cloak woven from shadows, dripping with the blood of criminals and innocents alike. Its face was horned, lizard-like in appearance. Not much else could be used to describe it, for it was as if it was in one place, yet in all places at the same time. It was a shadow, flitting in and out of your vision. You think you see it, then it is gone. For a second you may see a clawed hand, ready to rip out your throat, then it is gone. Any man would lose his sanity after mere minutes with this ghastly entity._

_He reached out, with a maniacal grin on his face. He lunged at her, shoving her off of the cliff. Amelia shrieked, as she fell down the cliff. She was falling, faster than light, yet it seemed to last forever. The jagged boulders below rushed up to meet her, and just before impact-_


	6. Chapter 6

CH 6

"God, Connor! Stop complaining so much! If you were found out in the wilderness like that, how would you feel if you heard someone complaining day and night about you?!" an agitated Achilles exclaimed.

"First of all, I would not have been passed out on my own, helpless in the pouring rain," Connor sighed, like he would rather do anything other than what he currently was.

"I swear, boy, that one day your arrogance will be the death of you! Worse yet, it may spell the death of others! Innocents! And so god help me, even I may die from your foolishness! You think that you know what's best, when you don't! You are too overconfident and naïve, boy-" Achilles stopped abruptly, when he noticed the girl, about Connor's age, stir from her slumber.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""

Amelia sat up, screaming as she awoke, "_Momma! Papa! Kora! Please, NOOOOO!"_

"Calm down, child. No one here is going to hurt you." Achilles said gently.

Amelia shook her midnight hair out of her eyes, bewildered, and took in her surroundings. To the side of her bed stood two men, one was about in his forties, while the other looked to be about her age, perhaps three years older or so.

Amelia was never one to pay attention to physical appearances, but for some inexplicable reason, she paused to analyze the young boy.

He had a grim smirk on his face, yet she could see worry radiating from his eyes. His hair was dark, though in this light she couldn't tell if it was dark brown or black. His skin was dark, telling her that he was a Native.  
She didn't see anything special about him, but that would change in time.

"Are you alright?" Connor inquired, concern creeping into his voice.

Achilles slapped a hand to his face. "She was found unconscious, in the rain, covered in blood, with tears streaming down her face. Of course she's just fine and dandy," Achilles sighed sarcastically.

"Fine, fine..." Connor replied.

"Wh-where am I?! Where's Kora?"

"Settle down girl. If you're talking about that mangy wolf that was with you, she's out in the barn. She's fine," assured Achilles. "If you were wondering, you are at Davenport Homestead. Achilles Davenport, at your service." Achilles bowed slightly.

_Achilles Davenport? Where have I heard that name before...?_

"""""**Long ago; a bit before the time of Altair, aka _Eagle of the Desert_"""""**

_The forces of darkness corrupted hundreds upon thousands of people. Merchants became greedy and cheated others out of money. Men and women killed one another out of jealousy and spite. Men took every chance they could to undermine others and advance themselves. Women spread gossip to ruin the reputations of their enemies._

_Kings went mad with power, and those who lead what were once holy organizations became corrupt with greed and a lust for complete and utter domination._

_The lines between good and evil became blurred. One could not help but question if their intentions were truly pure, or if they were as demented as those who came before them._

_The most powerful of these groups was the Templar Order._

_-oOoOo-_

Author's Note: Hey guys! As you can see, the story is starting to take its own shape. From here on out, we will be seeing not one, but _two_ stories. The first is with our dear Amelia and Connor, and the second will be cleverly timed flashbacks, to the time of her parents.

Ps- sorry if Amelia seems a bit of a Mary Sue. She really isn't. She has plenty of weaknesses and imperfections, which will pop up later. I like to call them "endearing quirks."

PPS- I go through episodes of depression, so not all of this will be happy. Little to no fluff. No lemons. I'm keeping the relationships as real as possible. No fairy tales here, folks! Well, not as blatantly obvious as the Disney Princess movies... which I know nothing about.


	7. Chapter 7

The Beginnings of a New Order

There once was a time, when a group of men fought for peace. Honor. Unity. A world that was safe. A world that was filled with content.

Once, their cause was a great one. Men flocked to join them, for glory and honor. As with all dreams that were once pure, the darkness claimed the dreamers of peace, one by one.

The first to fall was Al Maulim.

Al Maulim was, at first, just an average man. He wanted all that unity and peace stuff as much as the next guy. However, there was one thing about him that was different.

He had a larger spark of darkness in him than the others, which the Dark Entity saw.

You see, everyone is born with a certain amount of darkness inside of them. No one is born pure; no one is ever perfect in every way. It's what you choose to do with the darkness inside of your heart that counts. You can accept the darkness, and use it to guide you in a life of light, or let it consume you.

Al Maulim tended to lean to the shadows. He was the perfect candidate as a pawn in the Dark Entity's grand scheme. He became proud, deceitful, and manipulative. Thoughts and suggestions were planted into his mind; promises of power and control. The demon, disguised as his subconscious, wove for him masterful plans to control the world.

_"The golden ideals of the Templars are wrong. Why shouldn't you be the one in control, with your own army? You can control the world."_

And thus began his descent into madness.

Slowly, he built up his own army of trained killers. He knew he needed to set a particular illusion, a foolproof design, so that he would be the unquestioned ruler. He called this organization the Brotherhood.

The "Golden Rules", or so to speak, were "_Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent"_, _"Hide in plain sight", _and _"Never compromise the Brotherhood."_

His greatest Assassin of all was Altair. He used Altair, just as the Dark Entity had used him.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Alyss was having trouble with these Templars. She knew that she needed a man on the inside to even begin to affect them. She thought this to be impossible, until she saw one particular Assassin.

It was none other than the Traitor of Traitor's pet, Altair. He had plenty of potential, even if he was an arrogant fool at times. Already, he had instances where he came to doubt his Master.

Alyss worked with Altair, helping from the sidelines. He helped him, in the end, kill Al Maulim. Altair became the new leader of the Brotherhood, turning it towards the light. The True Brotherhood was born. However, that is another tale to tell.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Alyss and Nicholas, as you can see, had quite a long history with the Brotherhood. Over the years, they were huge supporters of the cause. They helped expand the Order across the continent, to help combat the Templars. Eventually, there came a time when they could do no more for the Assassins. At least, not there.  
So, they chose to start anew.

Together they sailed across the vast ocean to an unknown land. This land, later on, would become known as the New World, to the Templars.

They built a home for themselves, with permission from the natives, of course, in the middle of the wilderness on the top of a hill. They lived in harmony with those who were there first, eventually becoming part of their folklore, myths, and legends.

When the colonists came, the Assassins too, began to take hold in America. Their new leader was Achilles Davenport, a "family friend" of Alyssa and Nicholas. They occasionally spoke of him to Amelia, while telling her about the Assassins and their cause.

"_Sometimes, when fighting the darkness, the best thing to do is to look to the shadows. This is a world where nothing is as it seems, Amelia. A world where men who seem holy and noble are actually greedy conquerors. A world where the men in the shadows are the only ones fighting against evil. I'm sorry you had to grow up in this world, but together we can make it better. The darkness will always be there, but we can make it unnoticeable.  
_

_Evil is an idea, a concept. You can't kill an idea or concept. It's like trying to wipe out love, or sadness, or anger. We can only keep fighting, Amelia. Promise me that you will never stop fighting."_

_-oOoOoOoOoOo-_

_Author's note:_ Ok guys, just to let you know, I'm planning on writing more about Altair's story later, as a separate publication. So, all of you Altair fans just have to wait! Don't worry, though, he might have more appearances later on in the story.


	8. Chapter 8

Amelia vaguely recalled her parents mentioning a man named Achilles. They had said that he was a friend, that he could be trusted. They did not, however, mention the boy. He didn't seem like anything special. She chose to ignore him for the time being, and fell into a deep sleep.

-oOoOoOoOoOoOo-

It had been six years since she had come to live with Achilles and Connor, and three years since she had started training to be an Assassin. Life fell into a lazy rhythm, for a time.

Achilles noticed how wild animals seemed to completely stop attacking those who lived on the Homestead. In fact, on some days, he even saw children playing with wolves and their pups. They still attacked when provoked, of course, but they were less aggressive.

Since Amelia's best friend was a wolf, and a rather large and scary one at that, everyone stopped using wolf pelts. By the second year she was there, it was common for one to have a wolf or two as a companion.

While villagers went about their own business, Connor and Amelia went on with their own lives.

-oOoOoOoOoOoOo-

_Year 3- Training Days_

Every day, Amelia was learning more and more about herself, and the world. The girl was fascinated by death. She read Achilles's entire library, reading everything about the war between the Assassins and the Templars. Achilles didn't want a young lady such as herself to be exposed to violence, especially because of how her parents died. Still, she was obsessed with weaponry, and the thrill of the fight. Something inside of her craved action, peril, and adventure. This is why she would read books on swordplay, assassination techniques, alchemy, and archery. Sometimes, though, while reading, she would pause to look out the window at oh-so lucky Connor, practicing his hand at swordplay, and basically every other weapon known to man.

Connor trained hard, every day, for reasons unknown to Amelia. He was usually calm and composed, a bit dull in her opinion, but when he trained, he was filled with the flame of determination.

Amelia spent her time studying, dreaming about being in Connor's place.

At the end of the day, they would pass by each other on the way to their rooms, which were right across the hall from each other.

Amelia hardly slept at all. She was naturally a light sleeper, and a night person. While Connor was in a deep sleep in his room, Amelia was looking out of her window, staring at the moon. It brought her a sense of inner peace, yet set off a war in her soul. The moon represented the freedom she desired, yet could not have,at least, not yet. Yet, as free as the moon was, untied from everything, it was solitary. It was alone in the sky. There was only one of its kind, amongst the millions of stars.

Freedom always comes with a cost. In this case, the price is loneliness.

And every night, across the hall, Amelia could hear creaking, tossing, turning, and crashing. Some nights, she wondered if she should go see if Connor was having a nightmare; if he was alright. In the end, she always convinced herself that she would just make things worse.

-OoOoOoOoOo-

"Achilles?" Amelia called, peeking around the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yes, Amelia? What is it that you want? I haven't got all day, you know." Achilles replied gruffly.

"Teach me how to fight."

Achilles promptly slammed his coffee mug onto the table. "Well it's about time you asked, girl."

"...Excuse me?" Amelia replied, giving Achilles a pointed glare.

"Well, I've been thinking. You don't do much around here in the first place. You refuse to do ANYTHING ladylike. You don't wash the dishes, you don't cook, and you are terrible at sewing and cleaning!"

The front door swung open, and Connor swiftly headed towards the kitchen where Amelia and Achilles were. He was sweating heavily after a long day of training.

"Achilles, is anything wrong? I thought I heard yelling." Connor asked, his head tilted slightly to one side.

"Well, Connor, before you so rudely interrupted us, we were discussing when your new partner would begin training." Achilles stated with a smirk.

"Partner? I don't need a partner. Besides, who could it be? It couldn't be you, you've retired. Everyone else here already has something to do, and the rest are women." Connor argued, hints of confusion creeping into his voice.

"What do you mean by that, Connor?" Amelia demanded.

"Well, the job of an Assassin is extremely dangerous, and a woman should never ri-"

Amelia cut him off, saying, "Look, buster, I don't give a damn about what you think. I'm training to be an Assassin whether you like it or not, and that's final."

Connor stared at them, bug-eyed. "W-what? Her? WHY? She spends all of her time reading, why would she possibly-"

Once again, Connor was cut off, this time by Achilles. "She never does anything a lady normally does around here. It's been three god damn years, and she needs to start pulling her own weight. Now. So, have we made a decision?"

Connor stuttered, "But why does it have to involve kil-"

"Good," Achilled stated, "You both start tomorrow morning."

Connor looked on, mouth hanging open, as Amelia walked away. Just before she went up the stairs, she jested, "I don't see why you're so worried about women joining the cause. You made it in, Connie, so why can't I?" Achilles snorted in amusement in the background.

Connor immediately shut his mouth, and went to his own room.

"I'll never understand women..." Connor muttered, just before closing the door.

"That must be terrible, not being able to understand yourself," Amelia called from the other room. Connor groaned, slammed his door shut, and collapsed into bed. Before he passed out, he could swear that he heard Amelia snickering.

-0o0o0o0o0-

Author's note: Hi guys! Just wanted to say that Amelia isn't always Koo-koo. As you can see, she was kind of put off because of what happened when she was little.

I personally like how Amelia and Connor interact, since I'm a huge fan of frenemy and love/hate relationships. This is the closest I will ever get to an accurate description of love XD If you want, tell me how you feel about this in a review! Or, you can just send a PM instead and starve a writer... Kidding, you can go so whatever you want.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: First Lessons

"Your grip on the sword is all wrong, it's about twenty-five degrees off."

"Thank you, but I think I have got this covered."

"...You over-corrected too much, by ten degrees."

"Thank you _again_ for the help, but I think I can handle this. I'm not helpless."

"You should adjust your handle gri-"

"OH GREAT SPIRIT, AMELIA. PLEASE. You ASKED me to demonstrate swordplay for you, and now you won't let me!" Connor interrupted, irritated.

"I'm sorry, but I want to learn the correct way to defend myself." Amelia replied, with a deadpan expression on her face.

"Fine, how about we have a sparring match to see how much you already know," Connor said, tossing Amelia a sword, "Although I doubt that you kno-"

"AGH!" Amelia yelped, dropping the sword to the ground.

Connor rushed to her side, his eyebrows wrinkled in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Ugh, I'm fine. I'm just allergic to silver. Can I have another sword?" Amelia asked, a little impatiently.

"Sorry, I didn't kno-"

"Connor, cut the crap and just get me a weapon to use that won't kill me, instead of my opponent."

"Alright, alright... I'm just trying to be nice..." Connor trailed off, his eyes rolling as he handed Amelia a nicely made sword made of iron.

"Ok, let's start off with some basic techniques. First we'll try blocking, the-" Connor was cut off, by Amelia lunging at him, sword drawn.

She lunged, he parried. After a while, he began to take offence when Amelia began to falter, clumsily holding her sword in her right hand. In reality, she was messing up on purpose. She was analyzing Connor, and slipping him into a state of false security. Then, when she had had enough, she struck.

She began to attack more precisely, confidently, and rapidly. She slowly started to force Connor, inch by inch, to the edge of the training grounds.

They were so absorbed in the fight, that they didn't pay much attention to their surroundings. Pretty soon, one of them, in the chaos, tripped over a fallen log, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

"Ow... Where did you learn all of that? I've never seen you lift a sword before..." Connor asked, groaning in pain.

"Books, silly. What did you think I was reading all these years?" Amelia chuckled softly, "You know what they say... The pen is mightier than the sword. I also observed how you practiced with Achilles, through the window. I must admit, though, it's much harder to actually hold a sword."

"And your speed! How can you move that fast? How could you even lift the sword, all you do is sit around!" Connor exclaimed, firing off questions, one after the other, bewildered.

"It's natural, I suppose," Amelia sighed, examining her nails, which always seemed to be pristine and pointed, "My parents were always said to have... Certain talents."

Their interrogation was interrupted by a group of three girls from the village, all dressed up and tidy, with plenty of makeup on. If they were more skilled, they could have pulled it off. They ended up looking like clowns, literally. Without makeup they looked fine; now they looked like the Accident in the Artshop.

They put on their prettiest faces for Connor, who, over time, unwittingly became the local heart-throb.

"Oh, Connor, dearest, are you alright?" The leader cooed, her blonde hair shining under the sunlight, with streaks of brown highlights running through it. Bottom line- she was far more physically attractive to men. She appeared delicate and ladylike, though her actual personality said differently. Few people knew of this, except for her enemies.

"It is fine, Marissa. I'm sure these are just going to be a few small bruises." Connor breezed.

"Darling, why are you rolling around with that mutt? She's filthy!" Marissa tutted, seeing Connor and Amelia still in their awkward position on the ground.

"Says the b*tch who's let half the village under her frivolous skirts..." Amelia muttered under her breath, darkly.

The three girls simultaneously turned to look at each other, with mock shocked faces. Amelia grimaced at them, imagining them being decapitated. She regretted the laws against killing people, especially "innocent" citizens. Couldn't there be just one exception? Marissa was hardly innocent. The thing was, she broke unwritten laws in the nature of humanity, or the world.

Laws of civilization are guidelines. Helpful guidelines that keep people alive, at times. Other times, they take away people's lives, metaphorically speaking. Sometimes they keep control, other times they are controlling. Caretaker vs. Dictator.

Laws of humanity are what makes a person. They are unspoken rules that people are encouraged to follow to be better, as human beings. I say better, because there is no word more accurate. "Best," in this situation, implies that a human can be perfect. This isn't possible, because there are two kinds of people: Ones who are imperfect in one way or form or another, or lying.

Marissa is one of those people who breaks every law of humanity, yet manages to stay within the official guidelines.

In short; she gossips, she betrays, she deceives, she oppresses, and she outright lies. She is the stereotypical brat at the playground, the girl who blackmails you for something you may or may not have had anything to do with, the girl who pins everything on you. She is the girl who everyone else loves, save for those who know her true nature. She steals your spotlight. She steals your boyfriend. She steals your self-esteem. She has everything; everything except a soul.

Her sidekicks' names are Mary and Sue.


	10. Chapter 10

CH 10

Little Amelia was going through her usual routine of reading in the afternoon, while watching Connor practice outside. Today he was throwing tomahawks at an apple. The sun was high in the sky, marking about one o'clock in the afternoon. It was a dreadfully hot day to do anything. In spite of this, Amelia and Connor went through their usual routines. After all, the weather in the region is unpredictable. After it snows in the summer and there is a heatwave in the winter, you tend to learn to be flexible.

The peaceful quiet, combined with curses from Connor as he missed his target, was interrupted by high-pitched giggling. Amelia sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"Look, Mary, Sue! It's Connor!" Marissa practically screeched. "My, isn't he so handsome, and skillful, too!" Just as she said this, Connor accidentally dropped his tomahawk's handle on his foot, not hearing her.

Amelia snorted. As long as she could remember, Marissa had fancied Connor. She acted as if he already belonged to her, when he never really took notice of her advances. Amelia questioned why she never gave up, as her efforts were all in vain. Her train of thought started to wander to other territories of her mind, such as why Amelia herself did not seem interested in romance.

The concept of romance baffled her constantly. Why would anyone sacrifice so much for one person, who would most likely take it for granted? You see, Amelia was born with a sense of the darker side of the world, the negative emotions. She was born to be a guardian with a balanced perspective of the world. She was born with the knowledge of betrayal, heartbreak, and sadness. For to fight the darkness, you must first become a part of it.

She was immune to what other children feared, and they feared her for it. However, they masked this fear with aggression and suppression. Suppression of the problem, which they saw as Amelia. She had wisdom beyond her age, as if she had walked the earth before. At times, memories of another past got blended with her present. Dreams of bloodshed haunted her at night.

For all her wisdom and bravery, she could not understand basic human concepts, specifically love, affection, and basic social skills.

Amelia heard a saying, once, that love is like giving someone complete control of your heart, and trusting them not to crush it. She vowed not to give anyone that power over her. It seemed more dangerous than the demons that attacked her dreams. More dangerous than the silver that burned her skin. More dangerous than the Templars.

A clatter interrupted her reverie.

Kora was standing behind her chair, whining.

_Shall we go outside, Amelia? Surely, you must need fresh air._

"Fine, Kora. Just for a few hours, though." Amelia said, secretly relieved to leave the house.

She stood up, shoulders straight, and marched down the hallway, and down the staircase. Passing by Achilles, who was half asleep in a rocking chair, she called, "Uncle, I'm just going to go for a walk."

"Going on one of your afternoon walks, are you?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"Fine, just be back before six o'clock tomorrow. You really worry me when you're gone for too long."

And with that, Amelia and Kora took off, out the door.

"I swear," Achilles sighed, "That girl never seems to sleep. She's just like Connor."

-oOoOoOo-

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter and delay, guys. School and whatnot. The story will go on, though. See ya next time!


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